Green Fleet

Spartan Motors Collaborates on New EV Fleet Platforms

An existing Utilimaster body was modified at the Work Truck show to showcase new featuers for the three new chassis

Photo courtesy of Spartan Motors.

Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services has unveiled two battery-electric vehicle platforms, as well as a truck body designed for last-mile grocery delivery.

The business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc., which goes to market under the Utilimaster, Spartan Upfit Services, and Strobes-R-Us go-to-market brands, introduced the three new vehicle platforms at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, according to the company. Of the two available electrified chassis, one featured a walk-in van in collaboration with Motiv Power Systems.

The chassis is powered by lithium ion batteries and includes technologies such as: collision mitigation system, 360-degree cameras displayed on a nine inch HD in-dash monitor, and DOT sensors, amongst other innovative features. It offers the same performance as a traditional fuel equivalent vehicle at an 85% reduction in operating costs and 66% reduction in maintenance costs, over the life of the vehicle, the company said in a release.

The second electrified chassis revealed was through collaboration with Spartan Motors and Cummins. Built on Isuzu's strip chassis, the chassis' powertrain boasts a state-of-the-art battery system giving drivers an 85-mile range, a 3,200 lb. payload, and an under six-hour charge time. This zero-emission EV platform is designed for parcel and non-parcel delivery fleets in a GVWR Class-3 platform.

Spartan's final reveal was a last-mile grocery delivery vehicle. This temperature-controlled truck body features a fully customizable and configurable cargo area with climate-controlled zones, for refrigerated, frozen, and ambient temperature goods.

Green Fleet

Held at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center May 21-23, 2019, in Tacoma, Wash., the Green Transportation Summit & Expo (GTSE) educated close to 400 attendees on the various renewable and alternative fuel options.

Propane may be a viable option for certain fleets looking for an alternative fuel source. While converting a vehicle to a propane system comes with a high initial cost, the system may come with reduced lifecycle costs over the course of that vehicle's life.